After a brief silence, a deafening roar erupted.
"Holy crap! What was that just now? A shadow clone?!"
"Someone suddenly appears out of nowhere and attacks you? How the hell are you supposed to defend against that?"
"First, he merged into the shadows, rendering Feng Shao's speed useless, then he summoned a clone to backstab him. That was such a flashy move!"
"How many more tricks does he have up his sleeve? And what was that last flash of blue light? It looked so mysterious!"
"Brother Xiao is awesome (voice cracks)!"
"I hereby declare that Xiao Han is my new idol!"
Everyone was shocked by the new abilities Xiao Han displayed. His uncanny movement in the shadows and the Shadow Avatars that appeared out of nowhere completely overturned their understanding of Martial Artist combat.
"Shadow Avatar... and that sword aura that purifies energy..."
Lin Qingxia tapped her fingertip lightly, lost in thought, "The inheritance he received is even more ancient and powerful than I imagined."
Below the stage, Xia Yubing finally loosened her clenched fists, let out a long sigh of relief, and a blush of excitement spread across her face.
Xiao Han has once again torn open a gap in what seemed like an unsolvable situation.
Instructor Qin Zhen frowned, staring at the figure on the arena. The Shadow Clone Technique was no ordinary martial art; the energy manipulation and spatial mysteries involved were far beyond his comprehension.
Over at the Zero Class rest area, Luo Bing's fists were clenched so tightly that his nails almost dug into his flesh. He abruptly turned his head away, unwilling to look any longer.
As Xiao Han stepped off the stage, the surrounding murmurs nearly drowned him out.
He adjusted his breathing slightly. The Shadow Avatar did indeed bring some weakness, but the practical effects of the Eternal Night King Martial Soul merging with the shadow, as well as its power as a surprise attack method, were both proven.
The quarterfinals.
Who will be next?
The atmosphere in the training ground suddenly tensed up as the draw results for the quarterfinals were announced.
Xiao Han's rival— Shi Potian!
A tough nut to crack, consistently ranking high in the Core Sequence.
Seventh Level Peak of the Martial Master Realm, SS-level Martial Soul [Heart of Mount Tai].
"Hiss— Shi Potian!" Someone in the audience gasped. "'Little Mount Tai' Shi Potian! Xiao Han is in big trouble now!"
"It's more than just troublesome; I heard that even three Martial Masters of the same level couldn't break through Shi Potian's petrification defense. You'd have a hard time even if he just stood there and let me hit him!"
"Feng Wuying is fast, but his attack power is scattered. Shi Potian, on the other hand, is a master of both offense and defense, especially with his rock armor. Combined with the power of the earth, he's practically a mobile fortress."
Amid the murmurs, Su Linglong's fingertips twitched slightly. She knew very well how much the difference in cultivation level would be magnified when facing an opponent like Shi Potian who specialized in defense.
On the arena, Shi Potian stood tall and imposing, his face resolute, exuding an aura of imposing weight.
He looked at Xiao Han, his voice steady. "I've heard of your reputation. However, my arena is not a place for you to stand on."
"Please advise me," Xiao Han replied, his calm demeanor masking his heightened alertness.
The referee's hand signaled battle!
"Roar!"
With a low shout, Shi Potian activated his SS-level Martial Soul, [Heart of Mount Tai].
A yellowish-brown light burst forth from his body, his skin rapidly petrified, his muscles bulged and rippled, and in the blink of an eye, a rock giant nearly three meters tall rose from the ground, every inch of his body gleaming with a hard metallic luster.
Thump!
The stone giant stomped heavily, causing the entire arena to tremble violently.
An invisible force field spread out from him, the arena floor visibly became visibly viscous, and the air became heavier.
"Earth Binding!"
Xiao Han suddenly felt his feet stop, and his movements became sluggish.
Shi Potian's control over the power of the earth allows him to directly alter local terrain and restrict his opponents.
Such strong control.
The power of the Eternal Night King Martial Soul flowed quietly, attempting to break free from this constraint, but with little success.
Shi Potian's two fists, now solidified as rock, clashed together with a resounding clang, carrying an overwhelming aura as he strode straight towards Xiao Han.
"Taste my 'Mount Tai Collapse'!"
The enormous rock fist, carrying immense force, crashed down!
With a light tap of his toes, Xiao Han pushed the "A Step to the Ends of the Earth" footwork to its limit in the restricted environment, narrowly avoiding the thunderous attack.
The rock fist slammed into the arena, creating a deep crater and sending rocks flying everywhere.
"Just dodging isn't enough!" Shi Potian grinned, his attack becoming even fiercer.
Xiao Han took a deep breath and stopped dodging.
He lowered his body slightly, and the power of shadow quietly gathered in his right fist. He then unleashed the devastating "Annihilation Divine Fist"!
"Bang!"
A punch landed squarely on Shi Potian's rock-hardened chest.
The anticipated scene of Shi Potian staggering backward did not occur.
The massive rock body merely swayed slightly, and where it was struck, the surface of the rock cracked slightly, but the earthy yellow energy surged forth, and the cracks quickly healed.
Xiao Han paused slightly.
This punch, infused with the corrosive power of shadow, should have severely injured or killed an ordinary Martial Master Realm master at the fifth or sixth level. Yet, it only left this small mark on him?
"Haha! Xiao Han, my 'Body of Mount Tai' is not so easily broken!" Shi Potian laughed and swept his fist across the room.
Xiao Han dodged again, his brows furrowing involuntarily.
This defense is indeed tricky.
"Lotus in Motion!"
He pointed his fingers like a sword, and a streak of azure sword energy shot out, heading straight for the joints of the Shi Potian Sky Rock Armor.
"Bite!"
The Green Lotus Sword Qi struck precisely.
After a crisp impact, the sword energy dissipated, leaving only a faint white spot on the rock surface.
"This..." A murmur of surprise rippled through the crowd.
Xiao Han's previously incredibly sharp methods of breaking through defenses have now become ineffective!
Shi Potian said in a deep, muffled voice, "It's useless. My Martial Soul is connected to the earth. As long as I stand firmly on the ground, my power will be inexhaustible, and my defense will be unbreakable."
The battle seemed to have reached a stalemate.
Xiao Han, relying on "A Step to the Ends of the Earth" and the shadowy affinity of the Eternal Night Monarch, dodged and weaved under Shi Potian's storm of attacks, constantly searching for any possible weakness.
Shi Potian, on the other hand, was like a mobile fortress, launching wide and sweeping attacks. Each strike carried the power to shatter mountains and split rocks. At the same time, the omnipresent power of the earth constantly interfered with Xiao Han's movements, compressing his space for maneuver.
Xiao Han's spiritual energy was being rapidly depleted.
Shi Potian's defense was like a giant millstone, constantly eroding his sharpness and strength.
"This guy is a real iron lump!" Fine beads of sweat appeared on Xiao Han's forehead. He tried to activate the "Shadow Void Scripture" to comprehend the power of space and attempted to perform a short-distance spatial jump to get behind Shi Potian, where the defenses were relatively weak.
However, the space around Shi Potian was filled with dense earth-elemental energy, forming an invisible barrier that severely interfered with his perception and control of the space.
Several attempts nearly resulted in the opponent seizing an opening and launching a successful counterattack.
"Hateful!"